Ferdinand eochow



(Model) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

F. ROOHOW.

BOX NAILING- MACHINE.

No. 248,668. Patented Oct. 25,1881.

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(Mom-)1.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

' F.-ROOHOW.

Box NAILING MACHINE.

No. 248,668. Patented Oct. 25,1881."

fiihesses.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FERDINAND ROOHOlV, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

BOX-NAILING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 248,668, dated October25, 1881.

Application filedFebruary 7,1881. (ModcL) To all whom it may concern Beit known that I, FERDINAND RocHow, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kingsand State of New York, have invented an Improvement in Box-NailingMachines, of which the following is a specification.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the upper part of the box-nailingmachine, showing my improvements. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of themachine, taken directly above the top of the plungers. Fig. 3 is avertical cross-section of the same. Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectionalelevation of the nail-driving plunger, lifting-spring, and holding-jaw,showing the plunger raised. Fig. 5 is a similar view, showing theplunger depressed. Fig.6 is a sectional side view on a reduced scale,showing the plunger pivoted to its carrying cross-bar. Fig. 7 is adiagram of a box, showing the position of the nails in which they can bedriven by my machine.

' .The object of my invention is to improve the adjustability and theconstruction of machines for nailing boxes.

As heretofore constructed, all box-nailing machines known to me hadadjustable nailholdingjaws suspended from a cross piece or bar, andcombined with reciprocating plungers which are moved by a suitablecross-head, or the jaws were moved by a table. In all these formerstructures the nailing could only be either in the vertical direction,or, if in an inclined position, as in pegging-machines, lateraladjustment of the nail-holder was not possible.

By my invention I am enabled, in the first place, to attach thelongitudinally and laterally adjustable jaws and the plungers which theycarry in an inclined -or oblique position to the line of longitudinaladjustment, so that the nails may be driven obliquely, thus'greatlyimproving the character of the work performed.

Another feature of my invention consists in a peculiar construction ofthejaws, which have upward extensions bearing against the tapering shankor stem of the plunger, so that as the plunger descends the lower endsof the jaws will be gradually opened to let the nail pass down, all ashereinafter described.

Another feature of my invention consists in supplying the machine, inaddition to the rail or cross-bar which carries thejaws that nail oneside of the box, with rails that project at right angles, or thereabout,from said first rail, and are independently adjustable, so that if jawsand plungers are suspended from said additional rails two adjoiningsides of the same box may be nailed, or even three adjoining sides.

I am well aware that heretofore it has been proposed to nail the twoopposite sides of the same box at one operation, which arrangementrequired the use of two nailing-machines placed face to face. This, ofcourse, I distinctly disclaim, and from it my invention differs, in thatin lieu of nailing two opposite sides I am enabled to nail two or threeadjoining sides, to

wit: I can nail the bottom of a box to its body by driving the nailsalong one side and the adjoining ends into said bottom at one operation.

My invention also consists in combining with the adjustable jaw-carrying plates or crossbars an upper plunger-depressing plate, which drivesall the plungers simultaneously, and does not require any adjustment tomatch the adjustment of thejaws.

Other details of improvement which are embraced in my invention will behereinafter more fully specified.

In the accompanying drawings, the letter A represents the frame-work ofthe box-nailing machine. This frame-work is of suitable construction,and carries on a suitable platform, a, the cross-bar B, from which themain set of carriages D, holding the jaws and plungers,is suspended. Thecross-bar B is at the face of the machine and parallel therewith. Thiscrossbar B is attached to or provided with an extension-plate, b, whichhas suitable transverse slots, as shown at d in Fig. 2, through which 7bolts 0, that fasten it to the platform a, are passed. By this means ofattachment the crossbar B can be set in or out more or less, servingthereby to regulate the distance the nails are driven from the edge ofthe upper board. Thus for boxes made of thicker wood the nails aredriven at a greater distance from the edge of the upper board than inboxes which are made of thin wood.

The cross-bar B is preferably of dovetailed form, as shown in Fig. 3, ormay be made of any other analogous form-as, for example,

shown in Fig. 6-so as to hold securely in place the carriages that holdthe jaws and plungers. These carriages are preferably double-hookshapedat their backs, as is clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4, so as to embracethe cross-bar B in manner indicated, and yet be allowed longitudinaladjustment along the extent of the bar B lengthwise.

The carriages having the double hooks at the back are held in place onthe cross-bar by means of suitable set-screws, g and h, and in terposedblocks or plates g" h". I prefer to have two set-screws, g, in the topand two setscrews, h, in the bottom of each carriage, as clearlyindicated in Fig. 1, so that by properly setting these four screws thecarriage may be placed in an inclined position, as shown on theright-hand side of Fig. 1; but the same eflect may be produced bypivoting the carriage, as in Fig. 6, directly to the cross-bar B, inwhich case the cross-bar B must be slotted lengthwise, to allow theconnecting of pivot i, with the carriage of which it forms part, to bealso adjusted longitudinally in the spacing of the jaws.

Instead of having two set-screws, g g, on top and two set-screws, h h,at the bottom of the double-hooked carriage, either the top or thebottom hook of the carriage, above or below the rail, may be roundedconvexly, to permit and facilitate the tilting operation and positionabove indicated. In other words, I do not limit myself to any specialmanner of attaching the carriage to the rail B, as long as theattachment is of such a character as to allow the carriage to be placedeither into a "ertical or into a more or less oblique position, and yethave it laterally adjustable. Each carriage D, which, as already stated,is capable of attachment to the rail B, is made with parallel outweirdly-projectingcheeksffin fron t,and carries between its cheeksfarigid guide-tube,j, (see Fig. 4,) which is cast or otherwise intimatelyconnected with the body of the carriage, and forms part thereof, andwhich serves to receive and guide the plunger E, as clearly shown inFig. 4. In front of the tube j is pivoted, between the eheeksf, by apin, 70, one otthejaws, l, of the nail-guide.

Behind the tubej is pivoted, between the cheeksf, by a pin, m, theotherjaw, n, of said nail-guide. These twojawsland n have each an upwardextension or arm, 0, and these two arms 0, at or above the upper end ofthe tube j, carry each on an adjustable screw-pin, 1), an

inner cushion, (1. These cushions are made of india-rubber or othersuitable elastic material, and are in contact with the shank or stem 1'of the plunger E, and serve, when the plungerE is elevated, to hold thelower ends of the jaws l and it together, as shown in Fig. 4. The shankr of the plunger E is made tapering, being thickest at the lower part,which is in contact with the cushions q when the plunger is raised, andof gradually reduced thickness from that point upward, so that as theplunger is forced down the cushions q will be caused to expand and comenearer together, thereby permitting the jaws l n to open and let out thenail which the plunger forces into the box. The cushions, in connectionwith the tapering shank of the plunger, thus regulate the positionot'thejaws during the operation of the machine, and they also, becausethey are yielding, allow the jaws to adjust themselves to varyingthicknesses of nails and varying sizes of nail-heads, and as thejawsopen, and thereby form side openings between them, they will also allownails which may happen to be wrongly inserted-for instance, headdownward, or where there is more than one nail accidentally inserted-topass out sidewise without injuring any part of the machine or any partof the box.

Thejaw lhas a tubular extension, 8, through which the nail entersbetween the jaws from a suitable automatic or other nail-feed. Theplunger is held normally in an elevated position by means of a spring,1, which surrounds its upper part, rests on the carriage D, and bearsagainst a projecting pin or shoulder, u, of the shank. The upper end ofthe plunger has, by preference, afriction-roller, v, hung in it, asshown. When the plunger is raised, the cushions q are compressed by thethick part of the tapering plunger.

To the frame of the machine, above the carriages D D, that are placed onthe rail B, is attached in suitable manner a vertically-movable plate,F, which, by means of rack and pinion, or in any other suitable manner,receives up-and-down reciprocating motion, and which, in descending,reaches the upper ends of the pl ungers and gradually forces saidplungers down into the position shown in Fig. 5, thereby discharging thenail which is inserted into each pair ot'jaws from said jaws into thebox below, the box, or rather the boards which are to form the box,being placed upon a suitable table below thejaws.

The friction-roller c is very desirable, although not imperativelynecessary, when the plungers are to be moved in a slightly obliqueposition to drive the nails slantingly, as shown in Fig. 7.

It is quite clear from what' has been before stated that thejaws andplungers can all be set slanting to drive the nails in the manner shownin Fig. 7. The nailing-plate F, which moves the plungers, is of suchsize that the lateral adjustment of the cross-bar B and the longitudinaladjustmentthereon of the jaws and plungers will always leave the latterbeneath said plate F, so that the plate F need not be adjusted when thecarriages are.

To the framev of the machine, in front of the cross-bar B, are or may beattached on suitable wings, w, cross-bars B", which stand at right, ornearly right, angles to the cross-bar B, as shown in Fig. 2. Thesecross-bars B are attached to plates I)", which are slotted andadjustable on the supporting-wings, so

IIS

that each cross-bar B may be placed at any suitable distance from theend of the cross-bar B, and so that the two cross-bars B may be adjustedat any suitable distance from one another. On these cross-bars B may beheld a suitable number of carriages, D, having nailjaws and plungers,which, when so placed, will always be beneath the plate F, allowing thelatter to force the plungers on the cross-bars B down at the same timethat the plungers on the cross-bar B are forced down. By thisarrangement I am enabled to nail not only one side of the box, but twoor three adjoining sides.

It will be observed that'by having the carriage D so arranged that itcarries the jaws, the plunger, and the spring t in one compactstructure, and at the same time makingit laterally adjustable, togetherwith its cross-bar B, the several adj nstmen ts about which I havespoken, both laterally,longitudinally, and obliq uely, are madepossible.

I do not limit myself, as far as the slanting position of the plunger isconcerned, to a nailing-machine which operates by the descending actionof the plate I as that feature of my invention is applicable also tomachines in which the lower board-supporting table rises in driving thenail.

H H are gages for placing the ends of the boards to be nailed. They arepreferably adjustable on the bar'B.

I do not broadly claim making the carriage with nail-holding jaws,plunger, and liftingspring in one compact structure, as this has beenshown in the patentof Wicke, No. 38,924.

I do not claim machinery for driving nails obliquely by moving the boxtoward a stationary plunger.

I claim-- 1. In a nailing-machine, the combination of the carriage D,having the plunger-guide j, with the reciprocating plunger E, and withthe pivoted jaws Z and n, the plunger having tapering shank r, withwhich upper extensions of the jaws come in contact, substantially asspecified.

2. The combination of thejaws Z n with the screws p19 and cushions q q,and with the plunger E, having tapering shank 'r, substantially asdescribed.

3. In a nailing-machine, the combination of the laterally-adjustablecarrying cross-bar B, with series of carriages D suspended therefrom,each carriage having the nail-holding jaws, the plunger, and thelifting-spring for the plunger in one compact structure, all arranged inreference to each other in such manner that each carriage is adjustableindependent of the others on the cross-bar B in a direction horizontalto said cross-bar, and so that all carriages on the cross-bar areadjusted simultaneously and equally in a lateral direction by movingsaid cross-bar forward or backward, substantially as herein shown anddescribed.

4. A box -nailing machine having reciprocating nail-driving plungers anddriving mechanism, substantially as described, and jaws, said plungersbeing fitted into carriage D, which is provided with fasteners g g h h,or equivalent pivot 2', for holding it obliquely to the direction of theface of the carrying-bar B, and arranged to drive the nails obliquely tosaid direction, substantially as specified.

5. The combination of the cross-head B and its slotted extension I) withthe pivoted and longitudinally-adjnstable carriage D, having thenail-jaws and the nail-driving plunger and the lifting-spring in onecompact structure, all arranged for lateral and longitudinal adjustment,substantially as specified.

6. In a nailing-machine, the combination of the main jaw-carryingcross-bar B with one or more transversely-placedjaw-carryin gcrossbars,B", substantially as specified.

7. In a nailingmachine, the combination of the laterally andlongitudinally adjustable nail-driving plunger with the overhangingcross-plate F, which is disconnected from said adjustable plungers, andserves to force them down, substantially as specified.

8. In a nailing-machine, the combination of the reciprocating plunger E,having frictionroller 12, with the overhanging reciprocatingdriving-plate F, substantially as specified.

FERDINAND ROGHOW.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM H. 0. SMITH, WILLY G. E. SCHULTZ.

